WSOP Event #3 Recap – Thang Luu Wins 2nd Straight Omaha 8 or Better Bracelet
197 players made their way back for Day 2 of this Omaha 8 or Better event hoping to make their way to the final table. Among those hoping to make the money in this invent included Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Eli Elezra, Freddy Deeb, Chad Brown, Al Barbieri, and Ted Lawson. 2008 $1,500 Omaha 8 or Better Champion Thang Luu entered the day as the chip leader and was hoping to make his way to the final table for the third year in a row. Luu finished 2nd in the event in 2007 as well.
Among those falling short of the money during Day 2 included Lee Watkinson, Brandon Cantu, Rafe Furst, Roy Winston, Phil Hellmuth, Ted Lawson, “Minneapolis” Jim Meehan and “Hollywood” Dave Stann. Justin Phillips was the bubble boy of this event when Freddy Deeb flopped a straight against his two pair with flush draw.
90 spots were paid in this event and the eliminations started to come fast and furious after the bubble burst. Among those were Todd Brunson in 77th, Toto Leonidas in 70th, Pat Poels in 64th, Matt Savage in 60th, Layne Flack in 44th, and Erick Lindgren in 34th.
Annie Duke has a bracelet in Omaha 8 or Better but she won’t get one in this year’s event. She was all in against two opponents and would eventually get knocked out when one would make a six high straight and both made a nut low. Duke would finish in 30th place. Al Barbieri would then move all-in with the 2nd nut flush against Richard Toth and Jordan Rich. Unfortunately for him, Toth held the nut flush and Rich held the low. Barbieri would finish in 27th place.
Eli Elezra was knocked out in 20th place when he was unable to beat jacks for high and a nut low. After his elimination, the floor staff decided to call it a day and 19 players would return on Day 3 to play down to the final table.
Ed Smith would go into Day 3 as the chip leader with 433,000 in chips. Thang Luu would be just behind him with 410,000. Jeremy Harkin and Henry Hull were the first two eliminated on Day 3. Soon after, Lee Mougous and Adam Quiggle hit the rail. Micah Brooks, Richard Toth, and Lee Mougous were the next three eliminated to take us to our final table. This is the lineup for the final table:
Seat 1 – Ming Reslock
Seat 2 – Jordan Rich
Seat 3 – Pascal Leyo
Seat 4 – Ed Smith
Seat 5 – Freddy Deeb
Seat 6 – Senovio Ramirez
Seat 7 – Thang Luu
Seat 8 – Sebastian Ruthenberg
Seat 9 – Robert Price
Seat 10 – Jim Geary
Officially, the final table is 9 players, so one player had to go. That player wound up being Sebastian Ruthenberg. He could not beat two pair and apparently did not have a low as he mucked his hand at showdown. With his elimination, we had our official final table.
Senovio Ramirez III was eliminated in 9th place when he moved in with a flopped pair of kings. Ming Reslock made the call with A-A-J-10 and her aces held up. Freddy Deeb was the next one eliminated when he ran into two pair from Thang Luu.
Jim Geary was our 7th place finisher. He mucked after Ed Smith showed a flush at the river. Jordan Rich was then all-in against Thang Luu with K-6-4-3. Luu held A-A-A-J. The board ran out 9-7-3-7-7 to give Luu a full house and send Rich out in 6th place.
Pascal Leyo then called all-in blind after a raise from Ming Reslock. Leyo held Q-9-3-7 against the A-Q-5-7 of Reslock. In the end, there were three deuces on the board and Reslock won with an ace kicker.
Robert Price went out in 4th. Thang Luu bet out into a board of K-2-2-9 and was called by Price. Luu held A-K-10-4 and Price held A-10-8-3. Price was drawing dead and headed home with a $73,405 payday.
As play entered three handed, it was Day 1 chip leader Thang Luu with 2.15 Million, Day 2 chip leader Ed Smith with 1.5 Million, and Ming Reslock with 375,000. Reslock is the wife of perennial split pot game player and Stud bracelet winner Chris Reslock.
Ming Reslock would go out in third when she pushed with a gutshot straight draw against the two pair of Thang Luu. The straight did not get there and she became the 3rd place finisher.
Heads-up play lasted for a while, but Thang Luu was never really in jeopardy of losing his title. Eventually, Ed Smith would be all in on a Q-5-4 flop holding J-9-9-3. Luu held Q-9-8-7 for top pair and a straight draw. The turn pair the board when a five fell and the river fell a 10 to give Luu his second straight Omaha 8 or Better title.
Thang Luu proved that he was no fluke, taking down the $1,500 Omaha 8 or Better title for the second year in a row. His win earned him the coveted WSOP bracelet and $263,135 in prize money.
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